Garment-supporter clasp.



PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908;

J. J'. BUCHANAN. GARMENT SUPPOR'I'BR CLASP.

APPLICATION 1:11.21) 001. 14, 1o01.'

JOHN J. BUCHANAN, OF

WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, AssicNoR TO WATERBURY BUCKLE CO., OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

GARMENT-SUPPORTEB CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed October 14, 1907. Serial No. 397,867.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. BUCHANAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Garment-Su orter Clasps; and I do hereby declare tfie ollowing, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of my improved garment-supporter clas Fig. 2 a side view thereof with the loc king-lever and the clamping jaws in their closed positions. Fig. 3 a corresponding view with the locking-lever and clamping jaws in their open positions. Fig. 4 a detached view in front elevation of the locking-lever. Fig. 5 an edge view thereof. Fig. 6 a view of the blanks from which the locking lever is formed.

My invention relates to an improvement in garment-supporter clasps of the ty e in which two pivotal clamping-jaws are orced into their gripping ositions by means of a locking-lever pivota ly connected to the upper end of the rear jaw so as to act upon the upper end of the front jaw, the object being to reduce the wear of the arts as well as to increase the strength of tlie article and the ease and smoothness of its operations.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a garment-supporter clasp having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I extend the locking-lever 2 at its lower end so as to form a cam-like bend 3 and a strut 4, the end of the latter restin upon the front face of the lever which is Formed with a webbing slot 5 and with trunnions 6 which latter pass through holes 7 in ears 8*.

bent forward at a right angle from the sides of the rear clamping jaw 8 which is furnished (as shown) at its lower end with a rubber button 9 which projects forward through an opening 10 larger that it is, but corresponding to it in cross-sectional form and formed in the lower end of the front clamping jaw 11. The said jaws 8 and 11 are pivoted together by a pivot 12 passing through the ears 8 aforesaid and through ears 13 turned inward at a right angle from the sides of the front jaw 11 and entering between the said ears 11. The pivot 12, it will be noticed, is located below and somewhat in front of the trunnions 6 aforesaid. The said cam-like bend 3 co-acts with an inwardly turned operating-arm 14 forming an extension of the upper end of the front jaw 11. A spring 15 located between the two jaws exerts a constant effort to separate their lower ends and expose the button 9 for having the fabric drawn over it, as shown in Fig. At this time the locking-lever 2- is swung over back at a right angle to the jaws as also shown in Fig. 3. When the said lever is swung upward into line with the jaws, its cam-bend 3 rides over the inner face of the arm 14 and forces the front jaw 11 to swing on its pivot 12 so as to shut the opening 10 over the button 9 as shown in Fig. 2. This swinging of the lever 2 into line with the jaws imposes considerable strain u on the parts, but this strain is reduced to t e minimum by the cam-bend 3 and the strut 4, the friction of the operation being reduced to the minimum, and the lever being reinforced by the strut. The bend 3 forms, as it were, a line-bearing while no power that can be put upon the lever can possibly break down or bend the strut 4.

I claim In a garment-supporter clasp, the combination with a front and a rear jaw, the two jaws being pivoted together, of a lockinglever pivotally connected with the rear jaw at a point above the pivot. connecting the two jaws and bent to form a cam and a strut, the

former acting upon the upper end of the front jaw and the latter being engaged with the front face of the said lever.

.In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

0 JOHN J BUCHANAN. Witnesses:

W. F. BRONSON, MABEL E. BENTLEY. 

